… I had put myself on the back burner as there were other things more pressing. My husband's and children’s dreams became mine. And I happily reveled in it because that’s what parenthood is…and I didn’t want to miss a single moment of it.

I didn’t realize how much I missed traveling until the opportunity landed in my lap. Even stranger was that it felt…so selfish. indulgent. daunting. I can’t even tell you how many reasons I spewed out about why I shouldn’t go…

There are days - sometimes even weeks or months - that I overfill my plate and fall into believing that lie ‘I just need to push thru this week and then I’ll relax’.

It’s a bad habit I fall into…but the good news Im becoming more cognizant and aware of the patterns and signs when it happens.

I used to say ‘I can’t wait to finally have a weekend for myself’ like it would magically appear out of nowhere without an ounce of thought or planning.

I used to get mad that those weekends never materialized.

As my life got fuller I began to make lists and plan and schedule ‘important’, ‘stuff I need to do’ and ‘things I don’t want to forget or miss’ on my calendar

I’ve been struggling for a while. At first, things were slightly off. Then things started to fall thru the cracks and I was having trouble making a connection with people. Something that’s critical in my line of work. My self-pep talks weren’t working and I struggled to recognize the joy in caring for or serving others.

The secret to staying young?

Up until I met Courtney in the latter half of my 40’s, I had very few friendships where I didnt feel ‘less than’, mainly because of me. I often compared myself which always resulted in the inevitable overthinking cycle of ‘less than’ and ‘self worth’.

As a fellow photographer, my ‘less than’ went into overdrive (especially with her height) when Courtney reached out to me with idea of a collaboration….but in that act, she unknowingly taught me the true value and meaning of community over competition when it was merely the two of us in a field of male sport photographers.

Only women understand the marathon of details involved with the prep, planning, and packing for going on a trip…

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Girl dates are so good for the soul.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the holiday busyness and stress of getting it all done…

Peggy planned this date months ago and as the date approached I almost canceled. So glad I didn’t.

People have been posting this 10 year challenge all over social media. I rarely have pics of me while the kids were growing up because I was always behind the camera and quite frankly, I was ashamed of how I looked. I was tired, overweight, overwhelmed, stressed, and always on a deadline. When I looked at pics of me, I immediately pointed out every flaw.

I asked a few men of different ages and in stages, what they find most beautiful, appealing, and sexy about women. This reply from a 36-year-old totally moved me:

“For me, it’s the things most women are insecure about. Stretch marks, some sag, etc. Most men like older cars cause they have character, appeal, and age. Some of the things that women are the most insecure about are what men love the most. When I see someone with those things, I don’t see an old lady, I see an aged woman with experience. Young chicks with implants that sit high up are for young boys. A man, like me at least… might see that and think it looks appealing, but definitely not what I want.

What would it feel if like if your lover | partner | SO told you they loved every inch of your body? Would you believe them? Would you allow yourself to see it the way they do? Or will you point out all its faults?